Bangladesh

The United States shares the concerns of the international community that the recently passed Digital Security Act (DSA) could be used to suppress and criminalize free speech, all to the detriment of Bangladesh’s democracy, development and prosperity.
We welcome Information Minister Inu’s offer to meet with media representatives to discuss their concerns about the DSA. We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to consider changes to the law that would bring it into conformity with the Bangladesh Constitution and wi...

A Bangladeshi officer serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has been killed in an attack on an aid convoy in the country torn by civil conflict, according to the UN.
Lieutenant Commander Ashraf Siddiqui was hit by shots fired by “unknown gunmen” on Tuesday and died shortly afterward, Francesca Mold, the spokesperson for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement.
Siddiqui, who was the Bangladesh military liaison officer with UNMISS, was travelling in ...

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday suggested to impose VAT on e-commerce business as the platform rising popularity day by day. During his budget speech in the Parliament for fiscal 2018-19, Minister Muhith proposed to impose 5 per cent VAT on all e-commerce, including those using Facebook for sales, reports UNB.
However, he did not specify how the VAT to be imposed, but what he spoke of is a definition of ‘Virtual Business’ which will serve to the purpose of bringing e-commerce under VAT.
“The use of inter...

A pavilion of Bangladesh was inaugurated today at Interior Life-style Fair at the Big Site of Tokyo in Japan to showcase Bangladeshi jute products.
Chairman to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles and Jute Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Rabab Fatima and Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman Bijoy Bhattachariya inaugurated the pavilion, reports BSS.
A total of 10 jute business organizations are taking part in the fair where they are showcasing different items of jute produ...

The Cabinet has given final approval to the draft of the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI) Act, 2017.
The approval was given in the weekly meting of the cabinet held at Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports BSS.
The new law will replace an ordinance framed in 1977 during military regime, cabinet secretary Md. Shafiul Alam said while briefing reporters after the meeting.
The institute has been established aimed at condu...

Bangladesh has selected the UK's Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to modify a pair of ex-Royal Air Force-operated Lockheed Martin C-130Js and provide long-term support for the tactical transports.
Announced by Marshall on 10 May, the deal will include work in designing, developing and installing a new medical evacuation fit for Dhaka's Hercules. This will "enable the Bangladesh air force to carry out important tasks within the country and overseas delivering support to UN missions," the Cambridge-based company says.
Marsha...